Angel in the Snow
by Grace Raven
Summary: Cooro never particualarly liked snow. That is, until, he met her. A CooroxFranny oneshot. Please R


DISCLAIMER: I don't own +Anima.

**Angel in the Snow**

Cooro never particularly liked snow. It was fun to play in, yes, but it was so…white. Cooro loved color but snow was only one color and covered everything, turning everything to white as well. When snow melted, it made everything slippery and wet and when the water evaporated, things became hot and humid for awhile. Snow gave people the flu or killed them with the terrible chill it brought and was known to be able to bury people. And the thought of dying under a giant mass of snow scared Cooro to no end.

He hated how hard it was for him to find warmth during winter, the season that brought snow. So there really was no reason why the Crow +Anima shouldn't despise the white substance, was there? He took this fact with pride and continued to dislike snow. That is, until, he met _her_.

"Franny…" Cooro unknowingly muttered as he sat by himself, waiting for his friends to wake up.

It had all started one winter about four years ago, when Cooro was ten. Cooro had been flying so he wouldn't have to walk through the snow below, but decided to start walking when his black wings started to get tired. Unfortunately, he fell into an unseen hole that was covered by the snow. Then, to the brunette's dismay, Mother Earth decided to start snowing.

He was stuck there and was sure he was going to die, until a man around fifteen came around. The man had messy, long black hair and brown eyes. The man helped Cooro out of the ditch and led the boy back to his home, covering Cooro with his warm coat along the way. At the house was a girl around seven years old, claiming to be the man's younger sister. The young girl had skin as white as the snow outside and chin-length hair as black as charcoal. As the man's younger sister fetched Cooro warm food, the Crow +Anima undressed and wrapped a blanket around his body.

The young girl returned and Cooro introduced himself. The older man initiated conversation by saying that his name was Rem and that the girl, his sister, was Franny. Franny smiled happily, exclaiming how glad she was to have Cooro there as a visitor. When she said that, Cooro felt something inside him flutter. No one had ever been happy to have Cooro around because they thought he was the 'Angel of Death'. It was nice to have someone enjoy your company, Cooro decided.

Franny brought forward the heated soup she had made, and when Cooro looked into her eyes, he noticed how pale they were. That meant that she was slowly going blind. When Cooro finished his food, Franny was sitting in front of Cooro and asked the nine-year old why he was buried in the snow and he answered. Rem commented that there was an irrigation ditch there and Franny brought out a cardboard map. She informed Cooro that Rem had made the map for her as she took out a few plastic animals. Rem said that he made children's toys, like the animals, for a living along with sculptures, but no one bought his sculptures.

Cooro slept near the fire that night but was woken by insistent banging. The banging turned out to belong to Rem, who was trying to make an angel statue. Rem apologized for the racket and said that he was having trouble because he had never seen an angel. The older boy then said he wanted to show Franny what angels looked like. Cooro remembered this as he slept.

The next morning, Cooro went in search for angels. But his search was of no avail. He heard Franny calling him and saw the girl and Rem holding hands as they came towards him. Franny released Rem's hand and ran to Cooro. She fell face first to the snow-covered ground but turned out to be fine as she talked about her love of snow. Cooro was very surprised by her statement. Why would anyone love snow?

Franny then proceeded to move her arms around widely in the snow. When she was finished, the indent looked as though it had wings. It was like an angel. Cooro decided to join Franny in making snow angels and while they did this, a man by the name of Mr. Hill came to talk to Rem. Even though Rem thought no one was listening to the conversation, Cooro heard every word. Even when it was revealed that Rem was making the angel statue for the feudal lord so he could have enough money to buy medicine for Franny's eyes. Cooro was so caught up in the revelation that he didn't even notice that Franny's head was about to hit a rock until it was too late and she started bleeding.

Cooro felt immensely guilty for what happened and it was no help that the wound wasn't that bad because, as it turned out, her eyesight got even worse with the injury. All the Crow +Anima wanted to do was help the best he could. And when saw Rem's determination to help his sister by finishing the angel statue, Cooro knew exactly what to do. He ran outside and released his +Anima, making this the first time he had done this for someone else's sake. It felt good, to do something like this. Especially for someone he cared for.

Franny opened her window, saying she heard the flapping of wings and guessed it was an angel. Cooro flew over to her and let her feel his wings. He knew she probably couldn't see his face – or him for that matter – but as long as she could feel the wings of an 'angel' he was content. And happy because – for some reason – he wasn't ready for her to know about his +Anima. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. After a bit, Cooro flew away from Franny and landed and explained to Rem that he was a +Anima. He let Rem stroke his hands along with his black wings, the whole time thinking of Franny's benefit.

Before he went to sleep that night, Cooro walked into Franny's room where she slept peacefully. She had a happy smile on her lips as she rested and Cooro felt himself smiling. He moved a piece of her charcoal black hair and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well, Franny," Cooro whispered before leaving. The next thing he did was find Rem.

"Cooro? Is something wrong?" Rem asked.

"Rem, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Please don't tell Franny about my +Anima," Cooro stated with a rare serious face.

"Um, okay…"

"Thank you."

Cooro flew off the next morning, with no goodbye to Franny. He smiled as he flew off because he knew that Rem wouldn't tell Franny about his Crow +Anima. Although, deep down, he missed Franny and her outgoing additude. It was because of her that he began to love snow. What he didn't know was that there were hidden feelings in his newfound love.

Cooro had completely thought that he had forgotten about that short adventure. But he was wrong. For the next time he saw snow, he remembered Franny and Rem and most of all, Franny's love for snow, angels (which he guessed she must love like most girls), and visitors on snowy days. He wondered if she missed him as well.

_Nah, of course she doesn't. It's been four years now and she has plenty of friends. Why would she miss me? _Cooro thought.

"Hey Cooro, you coming? It's started snowing!" Husky called from in front of a cave the four found.

"Yeah, come on in so I – I mean we – don't start freezing," Nana said and shivered.

"I'll come in a little while!" Cooro yelled to his companions. Husky nodded and led Nana in the cave.

Cooro reached out his hands and snow pellets fell into them. He held the white powder up to his face and recalled some times with Franny and Rem.

"_When it snows, my friends can't come over. So I'm happy to have a visitor!" Franny exclaimed with a gleeful smile as she held a bowl of hot soup for Cooro._

"_I really want to show Franny what an angel looks like. Her eyesight is getting worse by the day and I doubt that she'd be able to even see five feet ahead of her soon," Rem said as he and Cooro stood in front of Rem's incomplete angel statue._

_Franny started running towards me then fell face first into the snow-covered ground._

_She flipped her head up, giggling happily, and then exclaimed, "I love snow! Even if I fall, it doesn't hurt!"_

"_You never know what might be under the snow, so you have to be careful!" Rem warned._

"_I know!" Franny laughed then lay in the snow, waving her arms in it quickly. "Watch this!"_

_When she finished, Cooro remarked, "Wow, it's like it has wings!"_

"_Really?" Franny asked._

"_Look, if you can get a good price for the statue, you could buy some good medicine for little Franny's eyes, right?"_

"_I hear wings. It's an angel, isn't it?" Franny commented as she stared outside her window. Cooro flew over to her and let her feel his wings. She then exclaimed, "You really have wings! Wow!" Cooro soared away from her and she shouted, "Bye-bye Mr. Angel!"_

Cooro blew the snow that coated his hands away and watched as it fell. He never really realized how pretty it really was.

"Franny…I wonder how you are. I hope your eyes are better so that you can still see how lovely the snow is. I miss you…my white angel in snow…" Cooro murmured and joined his friends in the cave.

"Franny, is something wrong?" Rem asked as he watched his younger sister fiddle around with her long hair.

"Nothing really. I just miss Cooro," Franny muttered, releasing her charcoal hair.

"You haven't seen him for four years."

"Yeah, I know. But I liked him. He was fun. Besides, I miss my black angel in the snow…"

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Grace Raven: I hoped you like my CooroxFranny story. Please review.


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